By Lena Nguyen & Katelynn Luu
Poised at the edge of the quivering springboard, junior Caleb Pham wavers above, balancing precariously. Then, with a deep breath, shoulders tucked behind his ears, he launches up into his dive, flipping and twisting before slicing through the water’s surface. Emerging out of the water to loud cheers, the first noticeable thing is his smile.
Caleb Pham is set to make a splash at CIF this year as the first diver to qualify for Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) in a long time. This achievement as the only diver currently representing FVHS is impressive, especially given Pham only recently started diving last year. However, his path to excellence as an athlete began long before setting foot on a springboard.
For over ten years, Pham devoted his time to club gymnastics, first at New Hope for eight years and then at South Coast for two years, motivated by his two older sisters, who were gymnasts themselves. He pushed himself to his limits and secured wins at State and Regionals for vault.
However, competing at such a high level led Pham to face intense pressure from his coaches to perform and succeed. Despite Pham’s passion for gymnastics and reaching level eight, he ultimately made the decision to quit. Looking for a fresh start to explore his athletic potential without the same level of pressure he once faced, the transition from dive to gymnastics was natural for Pham.
“The best part about diving is the awe factor that comes with it,” Pham said. “Similar to gymnastics, the flips and technique required to excel in diving are very specific and precise… [and] are very impressive to the common person.”
Pham started his diving career just last year and is already succeeding, placing second in the school league at Sunset League Championship Final. At competitions, he performs springboard dives at one meter and three meters and platform dives at five meters. Even reaching Junior Olympics and Nationals, Pham competes at a high level. The secret to his success? A relentless work ethic and a positive, bubbly personality.
“If you put enough work into it, you’re able to make big improvements within a short amount of time,” Pham said.
When he’s not entangled with school or other extracurriculars, Pham can be seen at dive practice in the Orange Coast College pool or on mats at a gymnasium.
In addition to his daily practices, he is highly involved in numerous organizations at FVHS, serving as secretary for FVHS Campus Crusade for Christ and Parliamentarian of the Associated Student Body. With so many commitments to balance, Pham’s schedule is a busy and demanding one.
“I section off portions of the day to do my homework, and my practice times are pretty consistent,” Pham said. “I usually leave homework to do at night, and then during the day, school and practice.”
As FVHS’s only diver, Pham has big aspirations to widen the sport’s reach. He hopes to leave a legacy where others can be interested in diving and expand the popularity of the sport.
“Diving is…a little bit niche. So being able to say that I am in a sport that’s not very well known is kind of interesting,” Pham said. “It feels good to be able to represent diving, [and] it feels cool to be the only diver at our school.”
With his impressive talent and work ethic as a high-level diver, Pham has a bright future ahead of him. Rather than going through the general process of applying for college, he aspires to receive college offers to dive and attend a four-year. Whatever his future holds, Pham is determined to make the most out of being a diver.
